Monday, December 28, 2009

Well, I hope everyone had a cool Christmas! Mine was hampered by a raging toothache that turned into an abscess and a swollen face and I'm now on painkillers and antibiotics. So, posts here might be a bit sporadic until normality returns!

But, here's a few new things that may be of interest:

From The Anomalist: Canadian in Utah to Seek 'Strange Creatures Seldom Seen'Deseret News, Meet John Warms, a retired school teacher who resides in Manitoba, Canada. Warms is on a quest to discover some of the many anomalous creatures he has heard about so he can write a book about them. He also says he once observed a giant beaver in a Canadian waterway and thinks he has discovered some of the 445-pound creatures' lairs. Does a giant beaver, relic of the Pleistocene, inhabit Canadian lakes and streams?

Awesome or Off-Putting: Tacoma's Electric Sea MonsterHecklerspray. An archived news account of a fantastic encounter along the seashore near Tacoma, WA, is revived. The alleged encounter is supposed to have taken place in July of 1893 when several men on a fishing trip pitched camp near some surveyors. As a group the two camps then faced a monstrous form from the sea that possessed the ability to hurl "electrified water" at the men. Did the men witness a creature from the deep, or was their fear brought to the surface by some underwater vessel? That tale was no doubt included in the top tales of unexplained creatures for 1893, but what about such anomalous creatures for the year that's quickly slipping away?

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Kathy Strain to the show. Kathy is a U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist, the treasurer of The Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers (AIBR), and an author as well as a long time and much respected researcher. However, most people probably know her best from her numerous appearances on a number of TV shows devoted to the topic of Sasquatch research. This is sure to be an interesting and informative interview! If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Kathy Strain to the show. Kathy is a U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist, the treasurer of The Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers (AIBR), and an author as well as a long time and much respected researcher. However, most people probably know her best from her numerous appearances on a number of TV shows devoted to the topic of Sasquatch research. This is sure to be an interesting and informative interview! If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

While reports of large winged-things in Britain are not as prevalent as in the US, they do exist. Without doubt the most famous one is the "Owlman" of Cornwall - a strange, ominous and glowing-eyed entity that haunted the woods around the old Mawnan Church in the mid-to-late 1970s.

But, now, there's another report of a Mothman-style beast from Britain, and here's The Anomalist to tell us more:

Mothman in Seaham on Sea? HmmmmmCryptozoology Online. Davey Curtis writes up a story told to him by a couple who experienced what may have been a Mothman-type being on the outskirts of Seaham, a city on the northeastern coast of England. Curtis believes the couple's tale and notes some of the synchronicity the late John Keel spoke of in his writings about the Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV, in the USA. Curtis notes the name of the place where the sighting took place and documents other things Keel mentioned seemed to attract such phenomena as Mothman: the couple's sighting was close to power lines, a military base and the "name Cold cropping up in ancient settlements". The sighting on the outskirts of Seaham occurred in a place called Cold Hesledon. Has synchronicity been reached during a Mothman encounter along England's northeastern coast? With images.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

As you will have noticed, over the last few days my posts have been somewhat sporadic, brief, and largely consisting of copy-pastes. No, I'm not getting bored!

Basically, what's happening is that I'm putting the final touches to 3 new books that I have to hand over to the relevant publishers by the end of January/early February. So, as a result, I'm literally burning the midnight-oil, while a few other things inevitably go on-hold.

But, normal service will be returning very soon !

Until then, here's today's crypto-mysteries, courtesy of The Anomalist:

Dale Drinnon: Some Further Notes About the MapinguariCryptozoology Online. Dale Drinnon presents some suppositions raised from information gathered in the search for a cryptid in the Amazon regions of South America that is sometimes referred to as "the South American Bigfoot." Variously known to the peoples of the region as the Mapinguari, the Jucucu and the Mono Rey, the large creature is thought to be a relic ground sloth, part of the megafauna believed to have become extinct thousands of years ago. Elsewhere, Loren Coleman keeps it brief concerning a recent alleged Bigfoot photo in Ben Blasts Bogus Bigfoot.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

There's a lot of good crypto-stories over at The Anomalisttoday, and here they are:

Meldrum & Keating on Today ShowCryptomundo. Renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman takes exception to the way a television program, one of the weekday morning staples for viewers across America, presents the science of cryptozoology. With video. Elsewhere, Coleman notes another network television presentation in ABC News Boosts Bogus Bigfoot and presents video footage in The Kryder Blobsquatch Image. Also presented by Coleman today, video footage of Coconut-carrying Octopuses and Their Komic Kin and Are Jackalopes Real?Remembering the MothmanAppalachian Independent. Point Pleasant, WV, was placed on the map in a way most towns probably would not appreciate. It all began with a mysterious encounter in 1966 and continues today as a reason for tourists to visit the town. Nick Diamond recreates what happened in Point Pleasant and talks with an eyewitness. He also points out that the appearance of the Mothman isn't the only incident of high strangeness reported in the small town.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Here's a couple of good posts, highlighted by the always-reliable Anomalist:

Unknown Creatures Stalking Oshana Region, NamibiaPhantoms & Monsters. Residents of the village of Okaku in the Oshana Region of Namibia say something is slaughtering their goats and chickens and recently caused the death of a 16-year-old boy. And Nature Conservation, called on to identify the creatures from footprints on the scene say they have no idea what the animals, described as "giant dog-like creatures," could be. Villagers suspect witchcraft is behind the attacks. Meanwhile, the tracks of unknown animals are the subject of the latest offering from Loren Coleman, as he calls on the late Ivan T. Sanderson's expertise for much of what you'll find in The Ichnological Evidence for ABSMs. With images.

Now and again we hear stories of official interest in weird creatures; and so for my regular Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com at the weekend, I posted an article which details the British Government's attitude to the "Big Cats in Britain" subject. Here's the link.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

I'm very pleased to announce that the publication of the 2010 edition of the CFZ'sYearbook is now right around the corner. Here's the link to all the info you'll need regarding publication date, pre-ordering, contents and much more. As usual, it looks to be a great volume!

Neil Arnold has a very intriguing new-post online right now on the subject of nothing less than a shark-sighting in London's River Thames back in the 1700s! Here's the link for the full story. Good one, Neil!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

I have a few deadlines to meet by the end of this week; so posts here may be a bit sporadic until early next week. But, until things are less hectic, here's a quick posting from today's Anomalist:

TakitaroCryptomundo. Brent Swancer guests with an examination of the evidence of some mysterious large fish in a mountain lake known as Otori-ike. The giant fish are known as Takitaro, and descriptions of attacks by these fish permeate local lore. A 1985 scientific expedition to the lake in search of the giant fish turned up some surprises. Does Otori-ike hold a world record Dolly Varden trout? With images. Meanwhile, there's speculation of something in the waters of a Canadian lake, and reports of its presence can be traced back for more than a century, as reported in Lake Utopia Monster. With image.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Your host are Bob Coyne and Mike Killen. Our guest this week is Jason Valenti who hails from the great State of Washington and he will tell us about his interaction with Sasquatch in 1996 at the Appalachicola National Forest in Floria. Jason has a website at http://sasquatchresearch.net. So please join us in chat if you can, we love to interact with our listeners.

Monday, December 7, 2009

1. From The Anomalist: Angels, Devils and BigfootLos Angeles Times. Nick Owchar gives some quick reviews of the best anomalous books released during 2009, including John Geiger's The Third Man Factor, Matt Baglio's The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, Joshua BluBuhs' Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend and Michael McLeod's Anatomy of a Beast: Obsession and Myth on the Trail of Bigfoot. Will you be picking up any of these titles for the folks on your Christmas list?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

As readers of this blog may be aware, of the many and varied "British Bigfoot" reports that have come my way, certainly the one that fascinates me most of all is the January 1879 incident on England's Shropshire Union Canal - in which a man was attacked by a large, ape-like animal with bright, shining eyes.

Well, none other than British Waterways have picked up on the story and have a new posting that reveals brief background data on the affair, as well as much more on the haunted canals of Britain.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Ken Gerhard sent me this last night, which is a story that he's keeping track of, and which I'll keep you updated on. Over to Ken:

"Last night - November 30th, police on the west side of San Antonio received a 911 call from multiple eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw a hairy, hominid standing over six feet tall, run out of the woods and kill a deer. The incident was reported to the local media and broadcast earlier today. The witnesses were apparently homeless and responding officers who interviewed them found them to be completely sober and rational, though understandably scared. The police chose not to search for the creature. I have just returned from a stake out of the area, which is located at the intersection of Loop 1604 and highway 151, about ten miles from where I live. The area is somewhat developed, although fairly wooded and located near several creeks. Most of the area is private property and is fenced with barbed wire. Obviously I was not about to trespass and I'm still not 100% sure of the exact location of the incident. Reporter Joe Conger from Eyewitness News did visit the exact spot earlier today and told me there were some animal bones present. I plan on returning there with him tomorrow to look for tracks and other evidence."

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Strangest FelinesScotsman. From Scotland comes Peter Ross' story of Mark Fraser, "who has spent his adult life searching for some particular beasts - black panther-like creatures which he believes are roaming Scotland." Five big cat investigators research the prevalence, hunting grounds and characteristics of the forty large black cats believed to be slinking through the heather and gorse of the highlands, or making their way into some towns. Fraser, a member of Big Cats in Britain, describes himself as a cryptozoologist, meaning, of course, big cats aren't the only creatures that pique his curiosity. Here Ross accompanies Fraser as the cryptid seeker makes his rounds. Are the big cats of Scotland former pets released into the wild, or are they, as some suggest, a relic population left behind after the last Ice Age? Elsewhere, Loren Coleman's International Cryptozoology Museum wants you to decorate your Christmas tree with cryptids this year, as shown in Bigfoot & Yeti Ornaments, while BoingBoing picks up on the idea, with some raucous commentary, in Bigfoot and Yeti Christmas Tree Ornaments.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Well, there's not much for me to report on today, and I'll be offline tomorrow and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday; so I'll now take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday! I may very well surface from my darkened lair at some point over the next few days; so keep a look out for any new blog-posts!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Lake Is a Lake Is a Lake...Isn't It?ShukerNature. Questions concerning the identity of a Tibetan lake reportedly filled with monsters leads Dr. Karl Shuker to examine the changing names of some lakes, especially those lakes within the confines of mainland China. One such lake in the northwestern Xinjiang Autonomous Region was previously referred to as Lake Hanas, but a new appellation has been bestowed on that body of water. Now it's referred to as Lake Kanasi. In 1985, however, when it was still Lake Hanas, imminent Chinese biologist Professor Xiang Lihao and a group of students observed some monstrous salmon-like fish in the lake that they say were at least 33-feet long. What happened to these huge fish? Has anyone captured one? Elsewhere, there are more lake cryptids in the news, as you'll see in Muirhead's Mysteries: Lake and Sea Monster Archives Part Three.

New Look of The Little Lady of FloresCryptomundo. Dubbed "The Little Lady of Flores" by the scientific team that uncovered her bones in a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, the diminutive creature otherwise known as LB1 has received a full-body reconstruction by renowned Parisian paleoartist Elizabeth Daynes. Loren Coleman shares images of Daynes' recreation of the female Hobbitt as well as other such work offered by Daynes, including a female Neanderthal reconstruction. Also at Cryptomundotoday, Brent Swancer continues a recent report in Japanese FeeJee Mermaids, Part II; and Coleman offers a cautionary tale in The Bear Lake Monster.

Here's an excellent new interview with - and profile on - Kent, England-based cryptozoologist and good friend, Neil Arnold. The interview covers a lot of ground and reveals the details of some of Neil's upcoming books, how he got interested in cryptozoology and much more. Well worth reading!

It's now been two years since the Bigfoot Quest radio show first debuted on BlogTalkRadio. So please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen for this special show as we celebrate the anniversary of our second year on internet radio. Over these past two years we’ve had some great guests that have helped make this show a success and we’ve also enjoyed the support of our audience. If not for all our guests that have been gracious enough to accept our invitation and find the time to appear on the show and our loyal listeners who join us in chat each Tuesday night or download and listen to the show through the archives, this show would not be possible! So in gratitude we want to say a special thank you to all of you who make this show possible and hope many of you can join us in our live chat this week for this special show!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Over at the website of the Texas Observer, you can find a new review of the recent conference at Tyler, Texas of the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy. And if you scroll down the page, you can see a video-link that includes interviews with me, Craig Woolheater and several other attendees.

The Blogsquatcher has a good, new and thought-provoking post, which is summarized below by The Anomalist:

Reliability in Old ReportsThe Blogsquatcher. A researcher into the Bigfoot phenomenon, and the oft-reported case where UFOs and Bigfoot appeared almost simultaneously, gives several examples of reports that meet the critical parameters that make him believe the story, as well as those that don't. In each case the researcher, the Blogsquatcher himself, goes to great lengths to point out what makes these tales believable...or unbelievable. Meanwhile, a very useful sidebar provides a chronological series of articles from the files at this cryptozoological website that often digresses to consider other cases of high strangeness.

I will be interviewed about Bigfoot in PA today at 530 on KDKA TV 2news along with Stan Gordon and one of the witnesses who had a sighting in September. Watch for it this weekend to be aired. www.kdka.com, and go to the video section. Also I will be down in Farmington PA for the Unity, Paranormal Fundraiser today and tomorrow. Tickets are still available and they have a stellar paranormal line up. I'll be there not speaking.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Today is turning into something of a Chupacabras special! While prowling around the Net earlier, I came across this new book: Dance of the Chupacabras, written by Lori Lopez. I have to confess that I haven't read it; however, the write-up looks like it will be an entertaining read:

A dark Wonderlandish "Odyssey" that merges and contrasts elements of humor and horror; fantasy, reality, and literary nonsense; legends, myths, and history; Pop, Mexican, and American Culture; wordplay and swordplay. It is a modern legend, a rumpus of revelrousrompery about being lost and choosing the road least traveled . . . the path unknown. In Tome One of the whimsical epic adventure, a Mexican-American brother duo of folklore dancers and a desert farmer - along with a diverse band of mortals, angels, and ghosts - battle supernatural forces to protect an oracle-princess as well as past, present, and future times from an Aztec serpent god's wrath. (Read sample chapters at the author's website: www.trilllogicinnoventions.com!)

WARNING: Contains big words and inventive language. What is an Author's Draft? This edition represents the author's pure and untampered vision!

About the Author

Lori Lopez is the mad scientist of writing. She delights in taking Literary (as well as Poetic) License to conduct bizarre experiments with the fundamental nuts and bolts and D.N.A.A.A. (Do Not Alter, Amend, or Ameliorate) conventions of Literature. This author's abnormal brain is constantly sawing and splicing and sewing oddball inconsistencies, while brewing tubes of syllabillic bubbly broths, formulating preposterous plots, mixing batches of garbly mumbled metaphors, conjuring jars of frothsomenotiony potions, and zapping to life a lurching legion of eclecticly antic eccentrically assembled characters. Tome One began in 1996 as a rather simple idea for a screenplay based on and written for Lori's sons. The concept has evolved into not only one trilogy of intricate tales, but a trilogy of trilogies. Further details about her oddness and strange otherworldly projects can be gleaned by visiting her website:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Sasquatch sighting eyewitness Ted to the show. Ted has been an avid outdoorsman his whole life and lived in upstate NY for more than 30 years. He was a New York State licenced fishing and hiking guide for 10 years and has had encounters with a number of different animals, including Sasquatch, in the many years he's spent exploring the forests. If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

Monday, November 16, 2009

This just in from Andy Colvin, author of The Mothman's Photographer series of books:

Dear Paranormal Pardners:

Due to some skillful prodding by Vyz, I have done three new interviews on Think or Be Eaten, which delve into my 2nd recent return trip to Ohio and West Virginia. These are some of the more wide-ranging of the shows we have done. The first show (Think or Be Eaten #47) looks at, among other things, my own family history and how it seems to tie directly into the Egyptians via the Pharaoic Montauk Indians (whom the Colvins married into). In the second show, we go into Masonic symbolisms - how they evolved from the Moors/Egyptians, and how they undergird the history of America and Europe. Go here and scroll down:

In the third show, which turns out to be Vyz's all-time longest interview, we go further into the evolving 11:11 mystery which, in addition to tying into key symbolisms of ancient Egypt, now includes a synchronistic Mothman sighting in early October, only a week before I left for Ohio. This sighting was only a mile or two away from our 1111 Independence Ave. address!

If you don't have time to listen to the entire two hour show, make sure you skip to the end so you can hear our new song, "Flying High With the Mothman." The song, which is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, tells the story of Indrid Cold and Apol, the famous MIBs of the Mothman story.

Today's Anomalist highlights two distinctly different (but no less fascinating!) monsters:

Special Assignment: Wisconsin WerewolfNBC15. Television reporter Chris Papst interviews several Wisconsin residents who claim to have seen a towering creature, all covered with hair and sporting a wolflike visage. Among those Papst interviewed is Linda Godfrey, author of The Beast of Bray Road, who has been researching the reports of the creature or similar creatures for over 17 years. Video of an interview with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources worker Steve Krueger, who had an encounter in November of 2006, is linked. Elsewhere, a different creature from a different state is the subject of Mothman's Legend Lives On.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

As always, I take a few days off, and all crypto-hell breaks loose! But, that's a good thing as it means there's much to report on.

From The Anomalist: "Cryptids in Suburbia – Part 1The Paranomalist. The idea of a Garden State Sasquatch, living in the highly populated northeastern part of the NJ, only a few miles outside of New York City, seems preposterous. But reports of the creature do occur here."

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Here's a new posting over at today's edition of The Anomalist, which I believe could have a major bearing on the overwhelming elusive and seemingly near-spectral nature of Bigfoot:

"Gnomes - A Sustainable Population?The Heavy Stuff. Are gnomes temporal beings? In an article comparing the evidence, and lack thereof, of gnome populations to that of possible Bigfoot populations, the theory that both these beings are temporal entities, visible here for only a short time to the witness, is a compelling one. There is no solid evidence of the existence of either gnomes or Bigfoot. Years of research into the Bigfoot phenomenon have never yielded solid proof, say like a captured specimen, or remains of a deceased creature, and as the argument of the theory goes, it never will be found due to the beings ability to shift in and out of our realm, either due to multidimensional manipulation or another factor of their abilities not even comprehensible to us. "

Monday, November 2, 2009

Fowler's BogGhostwoods. The dark forests of Maine hold many secrets. Natives to any of the smaller towns in its vast wilderness know the land well and its creatures. Fowler's Bog in Albion, Maine, may indeed hold a secret of its own and a young boy playing hooky with some friends may have stumbled upon it years ago. During their walk home, as darkness descended, an enormous black creature emerged from the tree line and into the bog with a terrifying sound that has haunted the witnesses to this very day. Upon returning the next day with parents and sheriff in hand, clear evidence of the sighting was obvious. Suspiciously, however, the sheriff was quick to determine it was a pair of bears and told them to forget the incident but their parents knew well it must have been something else.

Bigfoot: Legend or ...Petoskey News. After encountering "the thickest wall of live human body odor that you could ever imagine" and later hearing "three faint taps like two pieces of wood being hit together, then a slight pause, then one more" while in Wilderness State Park in Michigan last July, Ron Kostrubiec believes he may have encountered Bigfoot. Later he discovered a set of footprints including one of "a right foot print about 16 inches long and really wide... with a little rise of dirt between the little and next toe." Kostrubiec spoke to the local police as well as the state police, both of whom said they had not had Bigfoot reports in the area. Elsewhere, Man hopes to prove Bigfoot exists in W.Va. and in Pennsylvania, they're asking, is there a Sasquatch in our woods?. And the first day of the newly opened International Cryptozoology Museum was quite a success as reported in If We Build It, They Will Come.

Here's an excellent new video that details the great work that Richie and Naomi West are doing with respect to the Texas "Blue Dog" controversy. I'm very pleased to say that Naomi and Richie have become major figures in the CFZ and are doing excellent work to build up the group in the US. Many thanks, guys!

Mothman Like Being at Blueberry Lake?Half listening to Coast to Coast last Halloween night. C2C was having its annual “Ghost to Ghost” show, with callers sharing their ghostly experiences. One caller had an interesting story about a winged, humanoid creature following a friend of his at Blueberry Lake. (I seem to remember the caller mentioning the Bellvue area of Washington state, where lots of weird things have been going on for some time, but as I said, was half listening and so not sure of the location. I know there’s a Blueberry Lake resort back east in Vermont, for example…if anyone was listening to the program last and remembers, I’d like to hear from you.).

I was a little surprised the host, Ian Punnett, didn’t mention Mothman, nor did the caller, but Punnett did reference Thunderbirds.

It was a good story; person walking alone, at night, in a lonely part of Blueberry Lake, and hearing the dsitinct sounds of someone following him, or tracking him, from within the brambly blueberry bushes lining the lake. The caller described the sounds as bare feet slapping down on the pavement. When he ran, the unseen creature ran, when he slowed down, so did the creature. When he got away from the bushes and closer to home, he heard a tremendous whoosing sound of wings above his head.

Also: I received in the mail a couple of days ago from Neil a copy of the popular newsstand magazine, Chat, which includes a cool article from Neil that details his work, his research, how he got interested in mystery animals, and much more.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Creature Rings Twice: A Bizarre Cryptid Sighting From IllinoisThe Parafactor. In a report dating back to the mid-1960s, a central Illinois woman recalls her sightings of a large, white creature that she described as hairy with skinned features. She first saw the being during a walk home at night as a teenager, then later narrowly escaped the pursuing creature after a face to face encounter through a window. Years later she encountered the creature again in Kentucky as a married mother of two kids. Can the same creature have traveled hundreds of miles through the years to find the same woman? Elsewhere, the post from January on The Mount Vernon Monster has been updated, as several more sightings have been reported.

The following press-release is just in from the main CFZ office in Woolsery, England:

Today Dr Karl Shuker is a world-renowned author on cryptozoology and animal mythology, with over a dozen books and countless articles to his name, but long before his first book on such subjects had been published he was already a prolific poet.

Yet in stark contrast to his continuing output of scientific writings, his poetry has remained largely unseen by the outside world – only his family, friends, and selected colleagues have ever read any of his very sizable collection of poems…until now.

At last, after having been hidden away for many years in a couple of dusty folders, a rich selection of Dr Shuker’s poems has finally been compiled, enabling the CFZ Press to present this world-exclusive to his many fans and poetry readers in general.

Just as his non-fiction writings have documented a wide range of subjects, so too do Dr Shuker’s verses – from the wonders of the natural world, and the mysteries of other worlds far beyond our comprehension, to deeply personal recollections and contemplations of his past, present, and future, his faith in God, and also a series of poems written especially for children.

Welcome to a world of star steeds and nightingales, childhood’s end and silent farewells, realms of dreams and shadows, memory’s mirror and ghosts from the past, Faerie worlds and flying horses, the voice of the winds and the music of the spheres, roses and rainbows, airports, angels, balloons, butterflies, clowns, dragons, elves, fireworks, monasteries, poppies, Stonehenge, tattoos, UFOs, unicorns, and much much more. Even Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, makes an appearance.

All of these and many others too await your company within the pages of this very different but truly delightful book by Dr Shuker, offering its fortunate readers a fascinating, unique glimpse of a alternate line of literary evolution equal to but hitherto overshadowed by his cryptozoological writings. So let his star steed transport you right now to a magical, enchanting world that only poetry has the power to create, deep within the glorious infinity of our own imagination.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tomorrow night, the History Channel broadcasts a 2-hour show called The Real Wolfman, which tells the strange, intriguing and notorious story of the Beast of Gevaudan. The star of the show (the beast aside, of course!) is good friend Ken Gerhard, who sets off to France in an effort to try and resolve the puzzle.

Several years ago a strange creature was seen roaming around the English town of Lytham St. Anne's. Various theories were offered at the time, but the matter was never really resolved; and the beast seemed to vanish as mysteriously as it had arrived - as it often does in such cases! Here's my overview of the affair, newly-posted to my Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com.

Friday, October 23, 2009

The news that good friend, fellow author and Fortean writer and researcher Mac Tonnies has passed away suddenly at the age of only 34, is tragic, mind-numbing and overwhelmingly saddening.

It’s difficult (as it always is in such situations) to put my thoughts and feelings into words. But, my first thoughts are, of course, with Mac’s family at this terrible time.

I first came across Mac in 2004, when Paraview-Pocket Books published his book, After the Martian Apocalypse, which is a very good, and highly balanced, study of the Face on Mars controversy. I interviewed Mac not long after the book came out for the now-defunct Phenomena Magazine, and we stayed in touch, and soon became friends - albeit at the time purely by email and sometimes by lengthy night-time phone-calls, during which we would chat about Forteana, music and more.

Then, in late 2006 - at Paul Kimball’s New Frontiers Symposium in Halifax, Nova Scotia - we got to meet up, along with Greg Bishop and several others for a weekend of Forteana, UFOs, Cryptozoology, and general high-strangeness.

Needless to say, it was a fun few days, and I have a lot of good memories of Mac from that gig - he gave a fine presentation, everyone had a great time, and there was a cool vibe in the air. After that, me and Mac continued to stay in regular contact. Indeed, only a couple of months ago I interviewed him for an upcoming project, about which he was very excited - and now he’s gone; which I am still finding hard to believe and accept.

Mac was a great thinker and a thoughtful individual. He was a person with much to say and who had the skills to say it, too. And, with the manuscript of his planned book The Cryptoterrestrials nearly completed, I truly believe that Mac was about to come into his own in the Fortean field on a very large scale indeed.

He was also my friend, and I’ll greatly miss him.

Mac was taken far too early; so let’s always remember the man, the friend, and the work that he left behind. That’s really all I want to say right now.

PS: The photo above shows Mac (on the left) with Greg Bishop, sharing a laugh about something at Paul Kimball’s 2006 gig. This is the Mac I will remember.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

And, about which, we learn: "The lakes and rivers of the world are said to harbor monsters. Many look like dinosaurs from another age. Others are snake or eel-like while some are human-like amphibians. These monstrous creatures come in all sizes and shapes, not to mention color. They exhibit many different mannerisms from hostility to inquisitiveness to total disregard. Legends and stories can be found about them in all the folklore of different cultures around the world. Today the experts calculate that there are over two hundred and fifty lakes inhabited by some sort of creature. This Encyclopedia of Lake and River Monsters has been compiled to provide a starting point for those who are interested in pursuing the subject."

"Though not widely acknowledged, the Green Mountain state is home to more winged wonders, wet weirdoes, and crypto creatures than any other state in the country. You probably know about Champ, the elusive monster of Lake Champlain. But what about Northfield'sPigman? And Richford's The Awful? Wherever you are in Vermont--in town or country, river or lake, land or sky--you're never far from the unknown. Or the unexpected.

"Designed as both a cautionary tale and handy field manual for those who dare, The Vermont Monster Guide will be of interest to natives and tourists, to young and old...though it may not be suitable for readers with fragile constitutions. The authors' previous collaboration, The Vermont Ghost Guide, is a popular favorite and the perfect companion to this volume.

"WARNING: The authors and publisher are not responsible for any unfortunate encounters that may result from the reading of this book.

"About the Author: JOSEPH A. CITRO has written numerous novels, collections of arcane folklore, and ghost guides chronicling the dark side of Vermont and New England. His classic, Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls, and Unsolved Mysteries, is the most comprehensive collection of offbeat Vermont lore ever assembled.

"STEPHEN R. BISSETTE has been a professional cartoonist, illustrator and artist for over thirty years and is a teacher at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. He is best known for his award-winning collaboration with writer Alan Moore on DC Comics' Saga of the Swamp Thing."

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Well, I can now report (now that I'm finally home and catching up on things) that the 2009Mass MysteriesWeekend gig at the weekend went very well, and my Chupacabras lecture was well-received, as was Loren Coleman's presentation on the very strange links between Tom Slick, the Yeti and the CIA.

With audiences of about 100 per night, it was a cool event - and one that also featured presentations from good friend Peter Robbins (on the Rendlesham Forest, England, UFO event of December 1980); ghost-hunter Jeff Belanger (on hauntings at the White House); paranormal expert, Chris Belzano (who spoke about the mysteries of the Bridgewater Triangle); Matt Moniz on Bigfoot and a recent foot-cast of the hairy-critter; and Andrew Lake on the Ghosts of Rehoboth.

All of this was followed on Sunday afternoon by a bus-tour of the Bridgewater Triangle, which included a trip to various locations where hairy man-beasts have been seen in the woods.

It was an informative, enlightening and fun gig - thanks to all the hard work of John Horrigan, Tim Binnall, and the rest of the team. If you haven't had chance to check it out yet, do try and get along next year, for what is rapidly turning into a must-attend event.

Over at The Blogsquatcher, Bigfoot researcher Scott Herriott describes his very own encounter with the hairy man-beast. I have met Scott on several occasions - most recently last month, at the annual conference of the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy in Tyler, Texas (where I took this photo). He's a cool guy, and I definitely recommend you check-out his films Squatching and Journey Toward Squatchdom, which are as amusing as they are informative!

As is always the case when I've been away for a week or so, the biggest challenge relates to catching up on everything! And, of course, there's a lot to relate.

Firstly, from The Anomalist (which one and all should be checking out every day!) we have the following:

Bigfoot in New JerseyThe Paranormalist. John Carlson is a New Jersey resident, husband, father and self-employed web designer. He's also an avid student of all things that have a hint or two of high strangeness. Carlson runs a blog dedicated to everything of an anomalous nature, such as this tale of the night his wife heard what might have been a Bigfoot near Lake Owassa in western New Jersey.

Patterson's Little Known Death Bed ConfessionCryptomundo. Loren Coleman, following the recent Texas Bigfoot conference, reveals a revelation from one of the two principals responsible for the remarkable 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film.

New Moon Rising: Return of the WerewolfThe Independent. "If vampires are popular, it follows that werewolves must soon arrive." So says bestselling author Brad Steiger whose The Werewolf Book led noted reviewer Stephen Applebaum to call on Steiger for opinion as moviemakers seem to be turning from the vampire genre to the werewolf genre in soon-to-be released films.

Bigfoot Believers Gather in FeltonSanta Cruz Sentinel. A meeting over the weekend, put together by Michael Rugg of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton, CA, brought a host of Bigfoot researchers and aficionados, as well as the just plain curious, to the museum and the town community center in Felton.

Meanwhile, in the town of Seligman, "Java" Bob Smallsback of Searching for Bigfoot, Inc., has arrived to begin researching claims by a man building a cabin nearby that he had twice sighted the elusive creature. Smallsback says he was able to track the creature, finding a "fingernail" where he believes it stubbed its toe, as noted in Reported Bigfoot Sightings in Northern Arizona.

Mike Dash reviews the 1935 work of poet R. L. Cassie in which Cassie describes monsters he says inhabit the lochs and rivers around his home in Achanalt, not far from Scotland's Inverness. Did Cassie really observe creatures up to 900-feet-long? Or was he intent on presenting information so outlandish it would resound against the tales of the Loch Ness Monster reports that had captivated the world a few years before? You'll find Dash's report at The Monsters of Achanalt.

Moving on from The Anomalist's treasure-trove of stories of the last few days, there's good news from Richard Freeman over at the CFZ office in England. Both Rich's book Dragons: More Than A Myth?; and Jon Downes' Monster of the Mere book are finally available for purchase in the US for the first time. Here's the Amazon link to Jon's title; and here's the link to Rich's.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

This coming Saturday night, I'll be lecturing on the subject of the Chupacabras at the annual Monster Mash gig at the Hibernian Hall in Watertown, Massachusetts. I'll be doing an illustrated presentation about (a) my various expeditions to Puerto Rico in search of the beast; and (b) explaining my views on the so-called "Texas Chupacabras."

And, if crashed UFOs are your thing too, the night before (also at the Hibernian Hall) I'll be talking about my studies into all-things of a Roswell-like nature at the UFO Show. I spoke at both events last year, and a fine time was had by all.

Other speakers include Peter Robbins; Loren Coleman; John Horrigan; Jeff Belanger; and Chris Balzano. Also: Tim Binnall will be hosting a panel-discussion. Then, on the Sunday, there is a trip out to the Bridgewater Triangle - an area famed for its high-strangeness, including a wealth of weird beasts and unknown animals.

Monday, October 12, 2009

“When I was 13 or 14 (in 1962/1963), I was at boarding school in Newbury, Berkshire, just 2 miles from Greenham Common Air Base. One day a friend decided to run away. The night she did this I was concerned for her safety and, after ‘lights-out’ I watched from my dormitory window. It would have been sometime after about 9.00 p.m., and I watched for a long time. I saw her go down the long drive, (at least the length of two hockey pitches), and disappear out of sight. For some reason I stayed watching the main road that ran past the end of the school grounds. Suddenly, on the road, looking to my left, I saw a very tall figure that can only be described as a ‘Michelin Man’.”

Although I have not mentioned it here before now, when I was over at Jon Downes' Weird Weekend gig in August, fellow creature-seeker Neil Arnold and his girlfriend Jemma had a very weird, terrifying and unsettling experience.

However, now that Neil has gone public with the story, you can get the facts for yourself.

As Neil says: "Being a full-time monster hunter should be about traipsing through forests in search of strange creatures. Large, exotic cats in local woods. Elusive critters in remote lakes. Peculiar insects. Escaped wallabies. A bit of ‘Nessie’ here, and giant birds there. Yet what happened to me at this years ‘Weird Weekend’, was the most terrifying moment of my life."

A "Smallfoot" Report?Inexplicata. In June of 2006 a well-known watchmaker and artist was driving on a highway when he saw a strange creature resting quietly on the shoulder. The animal had a monkey-like appearance with short arms and very straight long legs. When the driver stopped about 30 yards short of this creature, the apelike being did not move and turned its head toward the truck. The witness then saw that the animal had glowing red eyes and that its body appeared to be covered with something resembling "short, whitish feathers." What was that?

Goatmen and SatyrsCryptomundo. Wondering what should be done about all the reports of "goatmen," Loren Coleman brings up Mark Hall's theory that these may actually be reports of satyrs, who wrote: "Their extraordinary physical capabilities have caused them to be called ‘goat-men’ out of a mistaken perception of their mode of locomotion..." Includes a detailed account of the sighting of a satyr-type creature in Louisiana in 1993. In another story, the question is raised: What Happened To Minnesota’s Kangaroos?

A "Thing" Sighted In WeardaleStill on the Track. Something flew out in from of Jan Edwards' car the night of Oct. 7th. "Whatever it was, was not a bird, and was not a moth or bat. It was approx. 3 feet long, about 1ft wide at the head, tapering down to a short tail. It was white and almost see-through – like a cloud, perhaps – pear-drop shaped, and moved very fast." What was it? Elsewhere, UFOlogist Michael Swords discusses a cryptozoological matter, the Loch Ness Monster, in A Big "FISH" in a Small Pond.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Thylacine SightingStill on the Track. Neil Arnold hears off a sighting that took place on January 17, 2005. The witness was 80 miles east of Melbourne, when an animal crossed the dirt track. "It was Golden retriever size, as clear as day, and I could see the set of impressive stripes down its back." Elsewhere, a Strange sighting of Normandy Nessie is described by a reader of the Tampa Bay Weekly and Maotherium Discovered in China.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Glen Vaudrey - author of Mystery Animals of the British Isles: The Western Isles - has a couple of good, new posts over at the main CFZ blog: one on horned snakes and the other on dragons and sea-serpents.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Two weeks ago, I attended the annual conference of the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy in Tyler, Texas (an event I am reviewing for a future issue of Fortean Times magazine). Well, while there, I met a woman named Yolie Moreno, who is the brainchild behind a new product called the Sasqwatch.

And what, I hear you all collectively cry, is the Sasqwatch? Well, as it's name suggests, it's a cool-looking watch that has a definitively Bigfoot-like appearance and quality to it, and which any and all self-respecting researchers, investigators and fans of Bigfoot definitely need to own.

Yolie was kind enough to mail me a "review-copy" of the Sasqwatch, which arrived in the post yesterday, and which you can see wrapped across my wrist in the new photo above.

Do I recommend the Sasqwatch to one and all? Of course, I do! Just remember: if you're out looking for Bigfoot, and you are actually fortunate enough to stumble across the legendary hairy beast, you're going to want to know at what time the historic encounter occurred - right? Definitely! And the Sasqwatch will allow you to do just that.

The Mothman of Pottery MoundGraham Hancock. Gary A. David suggests that there are precedents to the late 1960s Mothman phenomenon in the high plain of central New Mexico in about the middle of the 14th century. Archaeologists excavating the Pottery Mound site outside of Los Lunas have found some murals that seem to depict what we today call Mothman. What prompted the depiction of this strange insect-human hybrid? It seems that the night flying hawk moth and the Datura plant may have a lot to do with it. Does this potent psychoactive plant open a dark doorway through which the inter-dimensional Mothman flies toward the light?

And, in case you're wondering, the photo above does not show the Owlman! It's an unfortunately-stuffed little fellow my wife, Dana, took a photo of at the Lake Worth Goat-Man event last Saturday. But he does look kind of appropriate for this story, right?

As The Real Men in Black demonstrates, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, and perhaps even the legendary "Thunderbird Photograph" have attracted the attention of the MIB.

And, in a real scoop, I detail in my book the very creepy MIB encounter of legendary cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman himself...

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WOODS: A Transatlantic Hunt for Monsters and the Mysterious

Contains the latest news on Bigfoot, Werewolves, The Thunderbird, Devil-Dogs, Big-Cats, and much more. For all the details, including purchase-information, click on the book-cover image above, or check out: http://www.anomalistbooks.com/redfern2.html

MONSTERS OF TEXAS

NOW AVAILABLE (Click on the book-cover for more information)

MAN-MONKEY: In Search Of The British Bigfoot

"This book is an important contribution to the annals of furry, upright creature lore and belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in unidentified animals," Linda Godfrey, author of "The Beast of Bray Road" and "Hunting the American Werewolf."

MEMOIRS OF A MONSTER HUNTER: A Five-Year Journey In Search Of The Unknown

"This is one of the best books I've read in years," Joshua P. Warren, author of "Pet Ghosts" and "How to Hunt Ghosts."

CONFESSIONS OF A MONSTER HUNTER

I am the author of many books, including "A Covert Agenda;" "The FBI Files;" "Cosmic Crashes;" "Strange Secrets (with Andy Roberts);" "Three Men Seeking Monsters;" "Body Snatchers in the Desert;" "On the Trail of the Saucer Spies;" "Celebrity Secrets;" "Man-Monkey;" "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter;" "There's Something in the Woods;" "Science Fiction Secrets;" "Contactees;" "Monsters of Texas" (with Ken Gerhard); "Final Events;" "The NASA Conspiracies;" "Space Girl Dead on Spaghetti Junction;" "The Real Men in Black" and "Keep Out!"
Proudest achievement: knowing all the lyrics to every one of the songs recorded by The Macc Lads.
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